Central Mass. priests defrocked over sex allegations

The Vatican has "laicized," or defrocked, three Central Massachusetts Roman Catholic priests, who had been accused of sexual improprieties.

Bishop Robert J. McManus said that, as a result of the Vatican's actions, David Blizard, Thomas Kane, and Robert A. Shauris "are no longer in the clerical state."

According to chancery officials, the Vatican's Congregation of the Faith decided to oust Mr. Blizard from the priesthood. Meanwhile, Pope Benedict XVI, before stepping down as pontiff last Thursday, accepted the "voluntary laicizations" of Mr. Kane and Mr. Shauris.

Chancery officials said that the three men may no longer function in any capacity as priests.

The Vatican made the decision to strip the three men of the priesthood late last year but held off announcing anything until the period allowing for any appeals expired.

"I ask the Catholic community to join with me in prayer for healing for anyone who has been abused by these men or anyone in the Catholic Church," said Bishop McManus. "Allow me to echo the poignant words of Cardinal Francis George at the meeting of cardinals in Rome on Monday that 'The wound is still deep in their hearts and as long as it's with them it will be with us.' May we never lose sight of this."

The bishop urged that anyone who has been harmed by a member of the clergy in any way to contact the diocesan Office of Healing and Prevention at (508) 929-4363.

Mr. Shauris, who was accused of molesting children in the 1980s, has been on leave from the Diocese of Worcester since 1991.

The diocese, in 2002, settled a civil case involving Mr. Shauris that was brought by a Derry, N.H., man and a Deerfield Beach, Fla., man.

The two charged that Rev. Shauris engaged in acts of nonconsensual sex with them in the 1980s, when they were students at St. Bernard's Catholic High School in Fitchburg.

Mr. Shauris, at the time, was assigned to the school and was a music teacher. He was not specifically named as a defendant in the lawsuit and a stipulation of dismissal in the case was filed July 15, 2004.

In a 2002 interview with the Telegram & Gazette, one of the plaintiffs said the sexual abuse incidents occurred at a residence used by several priests off South Street in Fitchburg.

He said he was shown pornographic films and given alcoholic drinks, including Black Russians. The sexual abuse included fondling and other sexual acts.

He said the sexual improprieties occurred from 1983 to 1985 when he was 14 or 15 years old.

The man said a number of teenage boys hung around the residence and that some actually lived there with the priests.

Mr. Shauris was also named with a group of other priests in a confidential settlement agreement of a 1993 lawsuit by a man who accused Mr. Kane of molesting him for several years, beginning when he was 9.